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inhabitant of the region of Káçmíra; if you desire to indulge in the saffron game,* choose him.' Davadantí said: Do you not know that my body shrinks from a quantity of snow?' Then she went on, and proceeded to say: 'Princess, this is the lord of Kauçámbí, the King Jayakoça; so choose him.' Davadantí said: 'Kapinjalá,† this is a very beautiful garland that they have made for me.' The warder said to herself: Her not answering me about the king amounts to a refusal.' Then she went further on, and spoke again: Throw the garland of selection on the neck of King Jaya, the lord of Kalinga, by the Ráhu of whose sword the moons of his enemies have been swallowed.' Davadantí said: 'My respects to him who is as old as my father!' Then Bhadrá went forward, and said: Does this lord of Gauda, who is like the sun in the heaven, the roaring of whose numerous troops of elephants cleaves the world, § please you?' Davadantí said: Mother, the colour of the man is black and horrible like that of the elephants, so pass on quickly.' Then Bhadrá went on, and said again: Princess, this is the lord of Ujjayiní, the king named Padmanabha; if you wish to amuse yourself among the trees growing on the banks of the Siprá, choose him.' Davadantí said: 'Alas! I am wearied out with the trouble of walking round this enclosure of the Svayamvara-pavilion. So I will go further on.' Then Bhadrá went further on, and said: 'Princess, here is King Nala, the son of Nishada, equal in beauty to the god of love.' Davadantí thought, 'Oh, his matchless beauty! Oh, his wonderful grace!' Then she threw the garland of selection on the neck of Nala. Then there arose a cry among the people: Bravo! bravo! Davadantí has chosen well!' Thereupon King Krishna drew his sword, and began to reproach Nala, saying: 'Nala, it is not possible that you should marry Davadantí. This Davadantí has * Kunkuma-krídá.
C
† I suppose kapinjalá must be a term of affection here: Partridge.' An allusion to the idea that an eclipse of the moon is caused by the swallowing of that luminary by Ráhu.
§ Literally, the egg of Brahmá.'
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